History of the Atlantic Cable & Undersea Communicationsfrom the first submarine cable of 1850 to the worldwide fiber optic network

The Atlantic Telegraphby W.H. Russell L.L.D.

W.H. RussellPhotograph by
Roger Fenton, 1855.
LoC LC-USZC4-9183

William Howard Russell’s book is perhaps the most spectacular
work on the Atlantic Cable, with lithographs after the original watercolours made by Robert Charles Dudley on the 1865 Great Eastern cable expedition, along with others made by Dudley at that time representing scenes from the earlier expeditions. Page size is 11¼" x 8";
image size approximately 8¾" x 6". Many reviews of the work appeared in newspapers beginning in late December 1865, so while the book itself carries no publication date, it can be ascribed to 1865.

The original Robert Dudley watercolours from the book, together with others not used, and related oil paintings perhaps commissioned by Cyrus Field, were given by Field in 1892 to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, along with other cable memorabilia from his collection.

In 2005 Nonsuch Publishing released a new paperback edition of Russell’s book, with full-colour illustrations and the complete text of the original. See the Current Bibliography page for more information. The full text of the book, with monochrome images, is available at Project Gutenberg.

Shown here is a complete set of the
images from the original 1865 publication (the title page, 24 coloured lithographs, and the chart of the voyage, 26 plates in
all), alongside the original art for each image where available.

The images in the left-hand column below are from Russell’s book. The captions for each image in this column are reproduced verbatim from the book.

The images in the right-hand column below (where noted in the text) are of the Robert Dudley originals, courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Cyrus W. Field, 1892: www.metmuseum.org. The captions for each image in this column are those of the original art, and the accession number links at the beginning of each line are to the Met’s catalog page for each image.

A number of Dudley’s watercolours and paintings in the museum’s collection were not used in Russell’s book; these are shown at the end of this section.

Front coverof Standard Edition
The contract for the book suggested the possibility of inserting a “veneer” or thin slice of the actual cable into the cover of the book, but this was not done. A drawing
of the cable cross-section was used instead.

Title Page of Deluxe Edition92.10.57: The Great Eastern weighing anchor off
the Maplin Sands at the Nore, July 15, 1865

Title Page of Standard Edition
The Atlantic Telegraph
By W.H. Russell L.L.D.
Illustrated by Robert Dudley
Dedicated by
Special Permission
to His Royal Highness
Albert Edward Prince of Wales

Day & Son Limited
6 Gate Street London

Weighing Anchor off the
Maplin
Sands, Nore,
July 15th

Title Page
92.10.100: The Great Eastern Weighing Anchor
off the Maplin Sands at the Nore, July 15, 1865

Page 14: The reels of gutta-percha-covered
conduction-wire conveyed into tanks at the works at Greenwich.

92.10.52: The reels of gutta-percha covered conducting wire conveyed into tanks at the Works of the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company, at Greenwich

Page 18: Valentia in 1857-58 at
the time of the laying of the former cable.

92.10.85: Valentia in 1857-1858 at the Time of the Laying of the Former Cable[An inscription on the back of this painting describes the scene as “Heart’s Content”, but the location has been confirmed as Valentia]

The Robert Dudley oil paintings and watercolours shown in the next two sections are also from the Gift of Cyrus W. Field, 1892, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the images are displayed here courtesy of the Museum: www.metmuseum.org. All are watercolours unless noted as [Oil]. The Museum website has only black and white images of four of the oil paintings.

This group of images includes six pieces painted in 1865 which were not used in the book (with some scenes from 1857/58), and nineteen others from the 1866 expedition. They are shown here in approximate chronological order of the events depicted.

Metropolitan Museum 1865 Oil Paintings and Watercolours

92.10.48: Valentia, Ireland, from the Harbor, Opposite Knight’s-town, at the Period of Laying the Cable of 1857
This is clearly mistitled at the Met, as the scene shows the
cable hut at Foilhommerum Bay, which was built in 1865.
Compare with “Watching Maneuvers from the Dunes” below

92.10.90: The cable fleet leaving Ireland, July 1858
This painting, together with illustrations reproduced from the book's lithographs, appeared in an article on the Atlantic Cable by Arthur C. Clarke, published in American Heritage magazine, October 1958

92.10.91: The Bay of Bull Arms, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland. Bonfires lighted on the hills to notify of the arrival of the cable fleet on August 5th, 1858

92.10.62: The Great Eastern under weigh, July 23rd, 1865. Escort and other ships, H.M.S. Terrible, H.M.S. Sphinx, the Hawk and the Caroline

92.10.82: Getting out one of the great buoys. The deck of the Great Eastern looking from the forecastle

92.10.70: Launching the buoy from the bow of the Great Eastern on August 8th, 1865

92.10.44 [Oil]: Landing the Shore End of the Atlantic Cable [at Valentia].

92.10.74: The heights over Foilhommerum Bay, Valencia, the William Corey heading seawards, laying the shore end of the Atlantic Telegraph Cable, July 7th, 1866

92.10.47 [Oil]: Atlantic Telegraph Cable Expedition of 1866— / Making the splice between the shore end and the Ocean Cable on board / the “Great Eastern,” off Valencia. Latde 51°-50' Longde 11°-6' / July 13th 1866

92.10.77: A Night Scene. The cable entangled and nearly broken, July 18th, 1866

92.10.76: View of the interior of one of the tanks on board the Great Eastern

92.10.84: News Received through the Atlantic Cable from all parts of the world, etc. [July 22nd 1866]
Going off duty / Reading the News

92.10.65: View looking aft from the port paddle box of the Great Eastern, showing the trough for the Cable, etc.

92.10.81: The Albany buoying a bight of the cable of 1865 on the night of August 26th, 1866

92.10.87: September 8th at Heart’s Content, the day of the successful termination of the work of laying, recovering, completing and testing the Atlantic Telegraph Cables of 1865 and 1866
Compare with the similar scene below

The Science Museum in London has six Robert Dudley watercolours made on the 1866 Atlantic cable expedition and one painted in 1865 at the same time as Dudley’s other views of the 1857/58 expeditions, some of which were published in Russell’s book.

Library and Archives Canada, has three Robert Dudley watercolours of the Atlantic cable expeditions from the Peter Winkworth Collection of Canadiana. Images of these watercolours are reproduced here by kind permission of the Library.

This
interesting letter from William Russell to Robert Dudley is dated Nov. 19, 1865, and discusses the book.

18 Sumner Place
Onslow Square
South Kensington SW

Nov. 19 65

My dear Dudley

I have been waiting ever since the
receipt of your note of Oct 26. to have the pleasure of seeing you and the plates you
spoke of. But I suppose I will see them in the book when it is out. How and where are you?

Yours always truly

WH Russell

Russell also stayed in touch with Sir James Anderson, captain of the Great Eastern on the 1865 cable expedition. Russell’s sons Willie and Johnny had accompanied him on that voyage, and in 1869 Russell wrote to Anderson requesting help with placing his son John into telegraphy:

17 St James Place
May 17 69

My dear Anderson,

I want your aid very much as regards my second son John whom I wish to put to telegraphy in accordance with the suggestion of our friend Lord W.M. Hay & after this week it would be easy for me to keep an appt. if you have time to make one with me.

I hope you are well - I’m sure you are busy. Pray bring me to Lady Anderson’s recollection. Perhaps it would suit you for me to call on you at your private address [?].

Yours always truly

WH Russell

W.H. RussellHarper’s, 22 June 1861

Russell had a long-standing correspondence with Lord William Hay, whom he mentions in his letter to Anderson. Russell’s letters to Hay are held by the National Library of Scotland, reference MS 14467.

Lord William Hay was a director of the Anglo-American Telegraph Company.Source: Broadside entitled “The Marine Electric Telegraphs Bill. Speeches by Mr Cyrus W. Field and Lord WM. Hay, before the Senate Committee, Saturday March 17th” [1875].

Almost nothing has been written on the origins of Russell’s book, except that he was engaged to write it by the Telegraph Construction & Maintenance Company. But in the Telcon archive at the National Maritime Museum is a copy-book of contracts for the 1865 expedition, a hardbound volume containing copperplate handwritten copies of the agreements among some of the parties to the project.

These were: The Telegraph Construction & Maintenance Company, which made and laid the cable; the Atlantic Telegraph Company, its promoter; Webster & Horsfall, the supplier of 1,667 tons of armouring wire; Gillespy & Scott, provider of 6,000 tons of coal for the Great Eastern; and Day & Son and William H. Russell for the writing and publication of the book.

Also included are further contracts for the following year with the Anglo-American Telegraph Company, and The Great Eastern Ship Company.

As well as writing the text for the book, Russell kept a daily diary of the events on board ship. This was reproduced by lithography during the expedition in many copies, intended to be sent to newspapers in Britain and North America at the conclusion of the voyage.

The full text of the agreements for Russell’s book is reproduced below. Russell was a freelance writer, and so had his own contract with Telcon, while Robert Dudley was a regular artist for Day & Son, and was presumably paid by them directly.

London, 1 May 1865

In consideration of your engaging to purchase from the Company of Day & Son (Limited) one thousand copies of the First Edition (which is not to exceed 2050 copies) of the Volume illustrated as agreed between the undersigned the Managing Director of the Company, and Mr. John C. Deane at one guinea each, and to pay for the same on delivery, and to afford to the Company and its Artists every facility in your power for the production of the necessary views and details for illustration. The Company agrees to undertake the whole risk and expenditure of producing and publishing the work – being provided by you free of cost with letter press from the pen of W.H. Russell, Esq. L.L.D. or failing his writing the same from the pen of some other competent person descriptive of the laying of the New Atlantic Telegraph Cable and of other matter incidental to the History of Submarine Telegraphy.

And if you think it advisable being provided free of cost with Veneers of the Atlantic Cable for insertion in the Cover of the Volumes. We undertake to issue the first edition (limited as aforesaid) with all possible despatch after the delivery of the letter press to us and to deliver you one thousand Copies within fourteen days after the publication of the work.

The Copyright of the second and any subsequent editions is to be vested in you and the Company agrees to publish any further edition that you may require, you agreeing to purchase and on deliver to pay for any number of Copies up to Five Hundred at the price of 10/. each and if more than five hundred be required to purchase and on delivery to pay for not less than one thousand Copies at the price of 8/. each and as many more copies as you may require the Company to publish.

In consideration of your Company undertaking the whole risk and expenditure of producing and publishing a volume illustrated as agreed between the Managing Director Mr. William Day and Mr. John C. Deane according to the agreement of which a copy of which is hereunto annexed I agree to provide the Company free of cost with the necessary letter press from the pen of W.H. Russell, Esq. L.L.D. or failing his writing the same from the pen of some other competent person and if I think it advisable with Veneers of the Atlantic Cable for insertion in the Cover of the Volumes And I agree to purchase from the Company 1,000 copies of the First Edition of the volume such first edition not to exceed 2,050 copies and to pay for the same on delivery at the rate of one guinea each.

The Copyright of any subsequent editions is vested in me and if I require your Company to publish another edition I engage to purchase and on delivery to pay for any number of Copies up to Five Hundred at the price of 10/. each and if more than 500 be required to purchase and on delivery to pay for not less than 1,000 Copies at the price of 8/. each and as many more Copies as I may require the Company to publish.

To R.A. Glass, Esqre.
Telegraph Construction & Maintenance Company
54 Old Broad St.

Dear Sir,

I propose to proceed in the Great Eastern Steamer on the voyage on which she is now about to take for the purpose of laying the Atlantic Cable between Valentia & Newfoundland, and to prepare and furnish to you acting on behalf of the Directors of The Telegraph Construction & Maintenance Co. a full account of the incidents of the voyage as well as of all such other matters in relation to the subject as may be of interest, giving you full liberty to publish such account and derive all advantages from it without any reservation in my favour. I make this proposal on and subject to the following terms and conditions—

First—That I shall receive from you on behalf of the Directors of The Telegraph Construction & Maintenance Co. a sum of Six hundred pounds (£600)—one moiety thereof to be paid to me on the acceptance of this proposal, and the other moiety on the final completion of my part of the Agreement—

Secondly—That in the event of the undertaking proving successful The Directors are further and in addition to transfer into my name so many fully paid up Shares of the Company as they may consider me entitled.

W.H. Russell.

London, 54 Old Broad St. June 16th 1865

To William Howard Russell

Dear Sir

On my own behalf and on that of The Directors of The Telegraph Construction & Maintenance Company I accept the above proposal and agree to carry out its provisions.

R.A. Glass
as Managing Director.

The book was favourably received by The Popular Science Review, Vol. V, 1866:

THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.

The beautiful volume before us is a fitting record of the great labour which last year saw begin and terminate. It is the history of the voyage, written by Dr. W.H. Russell, and while it is instructive and interesting as a narrative, it is highly ornamental as a sketch-book. Messrs. Day and Sons have reproduced Mr. Dudley’s drawings in the best style of chromolithography, and altogether the book is one of which it would be hard to speak too favourably. Dr. Russell gives an account of the earlier efforts to unite the old and new continents, and shows us that the first submarine telegraph cable projected on the other side of the Atlantic was the scheme of an English engineer. The melancholy circumstances attending the rupture of the cable are conveyed as only Dr. Russell is capable of conveying them. Every little incident in connection with the great project is sketched with minuteness, and the reader’s attention and sympathies are excited and engaged by this fascinating writer.

Perhaps the most noteworthy portion of the work is that which refers to the probability of success attending the next effort to lay the cable. The cable of 1865, though capable of bearing a strain of seven tons, did not experience more than 14 cwt. in being paid out into the deepest water of the Atlantic. Owing to the improvements introduced into the manufacture of gutta-percha, it insulated a hundred times better than cables made in 1858, and still working. The improvements, too, effected since the beginning of 1851 in the conducting power of the copper wire, by selecting it, have increased the rate of signalling through long submarine cables by more than 33 per cent. Now, if a steam-engine be attached to the paying-out machinery, so as to permit of hauling in the cable immediately a fault is discovered, and a slight modification made in the construction of the external sheath, the cause of the faults which have yet presented themselves will be entirely done away with, and even should a fault occur, it can be picked up before it has reached the bottom of the Atlantic.

All these things should make us hopeful of the success of the effort which is soon about to be made, and for which the Great Eastern is undergoing the necessary alterations. “Remembering,” says Dr. Russell, “all that has occurred,—how well-grounded hopes were deceived, just expectations frustrated,—there are still grounds for confidence, absolute as far as the nature of human affairs permits them in any calculation of future events to be, that the year 1866 will witness the consummation of the greatest work of civilized man, and the grandest exposition of the development of tho faculties bestowed on him to overcome material difficulties. The last word transmitted through the old telegraph from Europe to America was ‘Forward,’ and ‘Forward’ is the motto of the enterprise still!”

See also this page on Sir James Anderson for a note from Robert Dudley about another of his paintings of the Great Eastern.
Additional works by Robert Dudley, mostly illustrations from Shakespeare, may be viewed at the Folger Library.
A new biography page for Robert Dudley is now on line. This also includes a survey of his artwork and notes on his many connections (and those of his two sons, Guildford and Ambrose) with the cable industry.

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